Graduate Academics

Graduate Academics

Graduate Admissions

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(Spring 2012 starts August 1, 2011)

(Summer/Fall 2012 starts September 15, 2011)

Printable Version of Graduate Admissions Process

Note: The Department of Computer Science requires students to submit original or attested transcripts by the deadline in order to have their application reviewed. This requirement takes precedence over the Grad College requirement to submit scanned transcripts. Also, the department does not require international applicants to submit the financial documents or passport information at the time of application.

General University and Department Applicant Requirements

The recommended GPA for applicants applying to the CS @ Illinois PhD program is 3.4/4.0 or higher in their undergraduate studies (international GPAs are systematically converted) to be considered. The recommended GPA for applicants applying to the MS or Professional MCS program is 3.2/4.0 or higher in their undergraduate studies to be considered. Applicants who hold a graduate degree must have at least a 3.0/4.0 or higher graduate GPA.

Note: The average GPA of applicants recommended for admission by the Department of Computer Science is much higher (3.7/4.0) than the university's minimum requirements.
Applicants must have been awarded (or are about to be awarded) a 4-year bachelors degree equivalent to that granted by the University of Illinois to be eligible for the graduate programs at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Applicants who hold a master's degree in computer science or computer engineering whose degree requirements are equivalent to the MS or Professional MCS degree in CS @ Illinois should not apply for a second master degree. The Graduate College of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will not award degrees which are duplicate in content, if not name, to one already awarded. Applicants who hold an MS (with thesis) may apply to the PhD program.
Applicants whose undergraduate degree is a three year program are not eligible for graduate level admission consideration at the University of Illinois. As stated previously, the degree must be equivalent to bachelor degrees awarded by this university. If the applicant has a 3 year undergraduate degree and a graduate master degree, the combination may fulfill the equivalency requirement of the bachelor degree only.
Applicants who do not hold a bachelor's in computer science must have sufficient background in computer programming, algorithms and data structures, computer organization, and the theory of computation (comparable to CS 125, CS 225, CS 231/232, and CS 173/373 at Illinois) to be eligible for CS @ Illinois graduate programs.

Admissions to CS @ Illinois

Each year the Department of Computer Science at Illinois receives around 1500 applications and admits around 150 students between the PhD, MS, MS Bioinformatics, and Professional MCS for the summer/fall term. Applicants will want to ensure a complete application by carefully preparing and paying close attention to what applications materials are required. Please plan well in advance and submit all application materials early to effectively compete with the other applicants. For international students, please be sure to complete the TOEFL exam well in advance to ensure scores reach the department prior to the application deadline.

Admissions into the CS @ Illinois Graduate Program is subject to the evaluations given by all faculty members, recommendations by the area chairs, and final admissions decisions by the CS Fellowships, Assistantships, and Admissions (FAA) committee. Qualified applicants will have their application reviewed based on the following criteria.

Competitive GPA based on the average GPA of all qualified applicants for that admissions period.
Display of a strong technical background, especially for the PhD program (priority is given to applicants who have strong research experience).
Note: MS and Professional MCS applicants must display a solid technical background to show they are ready for graduate level computer science courses.
Demonstration of strong communication skills through written application materials, letters of recommendations, and TOEFL scores (for international students only).
Strong letters of recommendations that highlight applicant's research, leadership, and communication skills as well as academic ability.
Note: Professional MCS applicants are not evaluated on research since this is a non thesis master's program.
Informative "Statement of Purpose" and "CV" that explains applicant's background, experiences, education and career goals, research interests, research experiences and abilities, leadership, and attraction to CS @ Illinois.
Passing and competitive TOEFL scores, especially a passing SPEAKING section score (a score of 24 or higher on the TOEFL iBT or a score of 8 or higher on the IELTS), for international students. In addition, the overall TOEFL scores must meet the university minimum requirements. See the "TOEFL and IELTS Exam Requirements" section in Application Procedure for more information.
Complete application, which means ALL application materials have to reach the Department of Computer Science by the application deadline.

Application Deadlines

Summer/Fall Term
- December 15th for MS and PhD programs
- January 15th for Professional MCS (both on campus and online) and MS Bioinformatics programs
Spring Term
- October 15th for Professional MCS (both on campus and online) and MS Bioinformatics programs

Note: We strongly recommend that you and your recommenders do not wait until the deadline to submit your application or letters of recommendation, as server traffic may cause technical difficulties. It is highly recommended to have all application materials in one month prior to deadline to expedite admissions decisions.

Application Procedures

To apply, use the university's Online Application system. All parts of the application, including application fee, must be received by the application deadline. Late applications will NOT be accepted. In addition, incomplete applications will be subject to denial.

Note: When entering in your previous degree history, the name of the institution must be entered as it appears on the official transcript.

Please note that all admissions decisions will be communicated via email to the email address provided in your application. If your email address changes between the time you submit your application and March 15th, email your updated email address to krunck@illinois.edu. Include your old email address, your new email address, your first and last name, and your Apply Yourself PIN number in the email message.

Note: Please do not send additional materials (e.g. publications, photographs, videos, CDs, or portfolios). These items are not reviewed during the admissions process.

Fees

The university's application fee is $70 for US citizens and permanent residents and $90 for all other applicants.
The fee must accompany the application by credit card payment with a web application.

Note: Please do not send the application fee to the department. This will delay the payment process. If processed past the application deadline, this will cause the review of your application to be postponed until the next admission period.
Application fees are non-refundable.

Transcripts

Applicants must send official transcripts for all completed university course work and certification of degree (for international students only) for all completed degree programs directly to the department and they must be received by the application deadline. Official transcripts may be sent by the applicant and be considered as official if received in a sealed/signed envelope. If transcripts are sent electronically from the institution, they should be sent to admissions@cs.illinois.edu. Please note that submitting scanned transcripts with the application does not replace the requirement to submit official transcripts directly to the CS Department. Applicants will not have a "complete" file until official transcripts are received. Current students from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign do not need to order official transcripts as the department can access your transcripts.

Note: For International mail, we suggest you send through a delivery service that can track your shipment.

Letters of Recommendation

Applicants are required to have three letters of recommendation submitted.
It is recommended that letters of recommendation be from academics. They can either be your faculty, advisors, supervisors, or colleagues. If you have been away from academics for a significant amount of time, you may substitute non-academic references of your choice (e.g. immediate supervisors, colleagues, etc.).
The letters should address your academic and research abilities and your potential to be successful at graduate level academic performance.
Individuals writing letters of recommendation on your behalf should submit their letters through our online application system. Any recommendations that do not follow this process may impact timely application processing.
Please make sure recommenders complete the section on the "Recommender’s Form" that states "To what extent do you recommend this applicant for admissions as a graduate student in their proposed field of study".

Statement of Purpose

The statement of purpose is part of the online application form.
This statement should include your goals and background as it relates to the field of computer science. It is good to include any past work history, your interests, and reasons for pursuing a graduate degree in computer science.
Your statement will be evaluated for your conciseness, scientific research interests, leadership skills, and eloquence.
Generally the statement of purpose is between one to two pages.

Financial Certification

Please note that the financial form does not need to be submitted by the application deadline. It will be required if admission is offered along with supporting financial documentation.

CV/Resume

Your CV/resume is part of the online application form.
Your CV/resume should address your education, job and research experience, remarkable achievements, publications, organizations, awards, and leadership experiences.
This information helps the admissions committee understand your background. In addition, it helps when identifying applicants for RA and TA assistantships.

Interest Form (for MS and PhD applicants only)

MS and PhD applicants must complete the CS Interest form. You will have access to this form 48 hours after you have submitted your online application. You will need to enter in the same email address and birthdate that is on your application to the complete the form.
Select one primary research area of interest. It is highly recommended that you also select a secondary research area of interest and a third optional research area of interest. This helps the committee understand your top interests.
Select a faculty member within each research area of interest you feel will best match your research interest and serve as a possible advisor.

General Record Examination (GRE) - General and Subject Scores

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general aptitude tests (Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical) and subject test scores are recommended, but no longer required. In some cases, the scores may provide helpful supporting information.
A photocopy of the scores may be sent directly to the department if the applicant wishes to have them considered.

TOEFL and IELTS Exams Requirements

This section is for all students whose native language is not English, which includes those permanent residence of the United States (green card). All TOEFL test scores should be reported through ETS to Institution Code 1836. A Department code is not needed, however, if one is required, please use "78".

International applicants may check to see if they are exempt from this requirement based on their country of citizenship. Please be sure to carefully read the admissions requirements and the financial aid requirements.
International applicants are exempt from the TOEFL testing if, within five years of the proposed term of enrollment, he or she has completed at least two academic years of full-time study as defined by the home institution, or completed a graduate degree in a country where English is the primary language and in a school where English is the primary language of instruction. For financial aid requirement, see below.
International applicants whose native language is not English must meet English Proficiency Requirements for admissions for University of Illinois.

Financial Aid

To be eligible for all forms of financial aid awarded by the Department of Computer Science, a TOEFL iBT score (Speaking section only) must be submitted, regardless of eligibility of waiver for this requirement. If currently working on an academic degree in the US or country whose official native language is English (not medium of instruction), this requirement supersedes the waiver of the TOEFL by the university.
This requirement is regardless of naturalized U.S. citizenship or permanent residency and is for financial aid consideration, specifically the award of a Teaching Assistantship, the most common form of financial aid for incoming CS graduate students at Illinois. Non submission of these scores will restrict the department from giving full financial aid considerations.
A passing score on the TOEFL iBT (spoken portion of the exam only) is 24/30. And, a passing score on the IELTS (on the spoken portion of the exam only) is 8.
SPEAK scores taken on a US campus other than Illinois are not eligible to fulfill the requirement at Illinois. The department has no authority to waive this requirement. A passing score does not guarantee an assistantship offer.

Applicants who Re-apply

Applicants who are not recommended for admission may re-apply for a future term entrance by following the application procedure listed below.

Note: Because the applicant pool is large and very competitive, the admissions committee does not generally encourage re-applications unless there has been significant change in an applicant's credentials.

Complete the Online Application. Please make sure to include your updated resume within the application.
Pay the standard application fee.
Submit an updated Statement of Purpose, which is a part of the application form.
Submit a new CS Interest form.
Submit three new letters of recommendation, which is a part of the application form.
Provide updated transcripts (if applicable). Please note that transcripts are only on file for one year.
Submit TOEFL scores if you are an international applicant who did not attend an English speaking institution. Please note that TOEFL scores cannot be more than two years old from date of exam. To learn more about TOEFL scores and the process, please reference the TOEFL section in the Application Procedures section.

Application Checklist

Before the application deadline, we strongly encourage applicants to go through the check list below to ensure all applications materials have been submitted. For a more detailed description on each step, please refer to the Applications Procedures section.

Application submitted.
Application fee paid.
Official Transcripts mailed to the department at address below.
Three letters of recommendation submitted.
Statement of Purpose submitted.
CV/Resume submitted.
CS Interest Form completed (for MS and PhD applicants only).
Scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL or IELTS) sent.
Note: Copies are acceptable pending official scores.

Most information is submitted through the university's on-line application system. For the items that must be submitted via mail like official transcripts, please mail them to:

Department of Computer Science
University of Illinois
201 N. Goodwin, 1210 Siebel Center
Urbana, IL 61801
UNITED STATES
FAX: 217 244-6073

If you have any questions with the application process and submitting your materials, please contact Mary Beth Kelley at mkelley@illinois.edu. To check your application materials status, go to https://my.cs.illinois.edu/gradstat/login.asp as the department will not notify you of missing materials. Please allow at least 48 hours from the time the Academic Office receives your materials to be processed and updated in the system. After the admissions deadline, please allow two to three weeks for materials to be processed and updated in the system due to the large volume of mail received. Please note that our offices are closed during the Christmas and New Year holidays (December 24-January 2), which may cause further delays.

Admission Decisions

Admissions and financial aid decisions are coordinated by the Fellowship, Assistantship, and Admissions (FAA) committee, comprised of faculty and senior graduate students.

Applications are carefully evaluated by members of the admissions committee, department faculty, and may additionally be reviewed by faculty affiliated with the Department of Computer Science.
Please note that applications lacking required credentials will not be forwarded to the FAA committee for review until they are complete.
All admission decisions will be communicated via email to the email address provided in your application. Additional certification or documentation may be sent to applicants who are recommended for admission by the department and admission has been finalized by the Office of Admissions.
Applicants who are recommended for admissions may need to submit an official final transcript (which shows completion of all course and degree awarded) upon final review by the Office of Admissions and Records.
Please do not call or email the department or the Office of Admissions and Records. No information concerning an applicant's file or admissions decision can be given to telephone or email inquiries.
To inquiry about campus visits and meeting with faculty and current grads, please contact Kathy Runck.

Admission decisions are typically announced by November 15 for spring admissions and by March 15 for fall admissions. In some cases, however, decisions may be reached much earlier.

If you have been denied and would like to appeal this decision, you can complete the Appeal Admission CS Department Petition. All appeal requests must be submitted to the Academic Office no later than April 30th.The FAA Committee will review all appeals in early May. All applicants who submitted an appeal will be notified no later than May 30th via the email.